Mo Ganji: Iberian Lynx | Iberischer Luchs | Lynx pardinus | No. 100/250 from work group 8/99

Iberian Lynx | Iberischer Luchs | Lynx pardinus

Mo Ganji’s single line contemplates the Iberian lynx — a medium-sized wild cat adapted to Mediterranean scrublands and open woodland mosaics — through a gesture of precise reduction. The continuous line offers a focused contour, enough to suggest a presence while remaining open to meanings beyond the category of “lynx.” By removing what is non-essential, the drawing allows essence to surface before familiarity or symbolism takes hold.

Lynx pardinus is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, the species experienced one of the most dramatic declines of any wild cat, driven largely by the collapse of its primary prey, the European rabbit. Intensive conservation efforts over recent decades have led to a significant recovery, with reintroduced and expanding populations now present in parts of Spain and Portugal.

The main threats continue to include habitat fragmentation, vehicle collisions, disease outbreaks affecting rabbit populations, and barriers to dispersal between suitable habitats. Although numbers have increased, the species remains dependent on active management, habitat connectivity and sustained protection to ensure long-term viability.

Ganji’s single line opens a space in which the lynx can be encountered beyond recovery narratives or emblematic success. It invites attention to a presence shaped by balance and restraint, quietly reminding us that even celebrated conservation achievements remain fragile — and that our place within nature is defined not by control, but by the care we extend to the conditions that allow life to continue.